Us Haggens

I really wanted to like this episode. The first time Festus Haggen is introduced to the 'Gunsmoke' family is a date that you want to remember. However after viewing the entire show I was less than impressed with the outcome of the program. I have to remember that at the time (1962) it was just a written show with no idea that Festus would become a regular on the show at a later date. That reference helps with the review.

At the beginning of the episode, Black Jack Haggen has just killed the grandfather of a young boy named Timmy. Timmy is able to get to Dodge and alert Matt who rides out to the house. While there they run up on Festus Haggen who is also tracking Black Jack due to the fact that he got his twin brother killed. Marshal Dillon makes a strange pact with Festus as they both track down the wanted Haggen family member.

It will be difficult for Festus but with the resolve of making Black Jack pay for getting his brother killed will make the pact hold till the end. They capture Jack with the intention of taking him back to Dodge for trial.

But this will be more difficult than believed. Jack keeps putting pressure on Festus about being blood of a Haggen and we are not sure they Festus will keep his pact about returning Jack for trial. But in this case blood may not be as thick as water.

The episode had some fine acting but the story was lacking. The introduction of Festus will always be the bright spot of this episode. Most will forget about the story that was really an uninteresting tale of county hillbillies.

Ok, i'll admit that i'm definitely on TEAM FESTUS. Still, imho this was a damn good story! i mean, ANYTHING with Denver Pyle! i'm certain that the writers could've found a way around the Festus character and continued to have a great story. Yes, lol i realize the episode is the introduction to Festus. Unlike the other commenters, i think the story could stand on its own. So the way i see it, this meeting of Festus (and April) is actually a huge bonus! Aaaand back to "maybe i'm biased since Festus IS my favorite"? Well i'm really only here bc after i read the prior reviews, thought i might offer a differing opinion. So, thrilled as i am that this episode is about Festus, i'm certain i'd enjoy it just as much either way! TY for reading!

I have to admit, in my memories of watching Gunsmoke in my younger days, Festus just did not compare favorably to Chester.

Now going through the seasons of Gunsmoke on DVD, I'm getting an opportunity to view both characters again extensively probably for the first time since the 1980s. And although Chester can be quite humorous, he is rather one note over time. Festus, at least as presented in this episode, is more complex. Of course it will be over a year when he returns to the show, and he was probably only intended to be a one time character until Chester's Dennis Weaver decided to leave Gunsmoke.

The one thing you don't have to wonder about is Festus' Uncle Jack Haggan's character. The episode opens on a boy of about ten milking a cow. He sees Jack Haggan (Denver Pyle) ride up and knock on the door. The boy's grandpa answers the door. Haggan asks if the man is alone he says yes and Uncle Jack shoots him. He would have shot the boy but he makes off on a horse and evades Jack Haggan's bullets. All so he could steal a wagon and a horse. So you know Jack Haggan is a cold blooded killer who has no problem killing witnesses over a minor theft, even if those witnesses are old men and children.

Marshal Dillon returns to the farm with the boy, and they hear somebody stirring in the barn. It is Festus Haggan, who says he had nothing to do with the killing. The boy confirms that Festus is not the man who killed his grandpa.

So Festus volunteers to help Marshal Dillon hunt down the killer, who turns out to be Festus' Uncle Jack. The reason Festus was at the farm? He is hunting down his uncle himself for getting his brother killed during a robbery. Festus has no real problem with the robbery itself. It is just the fact that his uncle left his brother to die.

So this is the gray character we get to know over the rest of the episode. So what tiger exactly does Dillon have by the tail? Is Festus going to help Dillon bring his uncle back to Dodge to face trial? Will Festus be persuaded by Jack's silver tongue and talk of family togetherness when they do finally catch up to him and help his uncle escape? Or will he kill Uncle Jack himself for what he did to his brother?

Watch and find out.

The only annoying part of the episode is Jack's teenage mistress that, for some reason, the Marshal and Festus bring along. The reason is probably that the plot required it, because logic certainly did not. She is an annoying untrustworthy thorn in the side for the entire trip back. All Dillon had to do was take all of the guns out of the house and leave her in the cabin where he found her, with food and shelter and no horses.

I look forward to seeing more of Festus when he returns in season nine.

Nothing wrong with Ken Curtis's character, especially since he's probably the most memorable on the entire series, replacing gimpy Dennis Weaver as Matt's deputy later on, but he seems to be doing an intentional imitation of Strother Martin, who appeared many times on the series.

Curtis first appeared on a Season Four episode playing a normal kind of guy, and I liked that guy better. Or... I like his voice, anyway. Festus has a voice and delivery that seems to be competing with the sound barrier, and frankly, I enjoy Burt Reynolds' Quint much more as he'd take the sporadic Weaver's place, leading up to the last part of Season 9 when everything changed to how it'd be for the next eleven years.

For me, the best episodes are from Seasons 1 to 8, but for this episode, Festus simply bugs. And the story is very dull. A road trip search for a killer (Denver Pyle) that could use more action, and less high pitched hillbilly voiced distraction.

Black Jack Haggen is another of those Gunsmoke villains that are lacking any redeeming qualities. Killing another person means nothing more to him than someone stepping on a bug. When he kills one of the farmers that lives close to Dodge City, Matt Dillon sets out in pursuit.

Matt isn't alone this time, though. He runs across Festus Haggen, who is also after his uncle for personal reasons. Matt agrees to allow Festus to tag along in the pursuit of Black Jack.

And so, we meet the one-and-only Festus Haggen for the first time.

Decades later, I am not sure when the Gunsmoke producers decided to add Festus as a regular character on the show. Although we first meet Festus here, we don't see him again until the next season in the "Prairie Wolfer" episode. However, this episode sure seems like it is as much to introduce us to Festus as anything.

There is a lot of Festus storytelling, especially as he tells Matt about his very unique family, many who have no qualms about breaking the law when it suits them, and maybe that even includes Festus. A big part of the tension in this episode is built around Matt not being sure if he can trust Festus or not.

Denver Pyle is good, as always, as Black Jack Haggen. We also get to meet April as played by Elizabeth MacRae, perhaps better known as Lou Ann Poovie on Gomer Pyle USMC. April would make additional appearances as Festus's girlfriend in the next season of Gunsmoke. Billy Hughes, a frequent guest on many westerns at the time, also appears early in this episode.

It is difficult to judge this episode on its own merits, because we now know the profound impact the Festus character would have on Gunsmoke. But a large part of this episode is an early version of Festus being Festus. The resolution to the episode is not especially surprising.